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The list of perks for being a member of Congress continues to shrink! Add to the list of repealed privileges — which so far includes throwing cell phones and talking dirty to teenagers — cigarettes. Ma Pelosi is banning smoking in the “Speaker’s Lobby” just off the House floor. House members can still, unlike most District commuters, …

According to ABC: “On Nightline at 11:35 pm ET, Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) will offer his reaction to the President’s speech.”

For ’08-watchers, there’s as much — or more — riding on that appearance as there is on the President’s prime-time address. Namely, whether Sen. Obama will deliver the response topless or wearing a Bears cap.

Tonight George W. Bush will try to alter the course of a great debate. As Christopher Buckley, a self-described “once-proud — indeed, staunch — Republican” wrote last fall in the Washington Monthly, the debate is engaged every day among historians, pundits, journalists and even normal Americans. Speaking of the current President’s …

In addition to other warnings — “may cause drowsiness,” “do not operate machinery,” etc. — the makers of Sudafed should consider letting cold sufferers know that drug will cause you to pick fights with Joe Klein.

Kudos to Jay for exposing the Romney blather–a disappointment, given the fact that he did pass universal health insurance in Massachusetts. But I’m not that impressed by the $6.5 million he raised, either. Money is a vastly overrated indicator of political credibility. Remember Howard Dean’s $40 million? Politicians raise money so they …

I am told that the presidential pecs contest (begun by Barack Obama against Wolverine) has another contender. Sources say that Romney — whatever he lacks in “issues” department — has a fine chest of hair.

Asked for confirmation, an adviser close to the Romney camp would only say:

Let me interrupt Joe and Ana’s debate over whether the public will blame the Democrats if Iraq goes to hell to draw your attention to one of the bright lights of the Republican Party, Mitt Romney, the erstwhile Massachusetts governor who wants to be the consensus choice of conservatives for president in 2008. Romney held a blow-out …

Just because they’re right about Iraq, and about this escalation, it doesn’t mean they won’t be blamed by the public if the result of an American withdrawal is lethal chaos in the region and $200 per barrel oil.

Let me try to think this through: You think polling about things like the war is “notoriously unreliable,” but

Oh, Ana, I disagree–and my disagreement is about substance rather than positioning. First of all, polls about complicated, emotional issues like the war in Iraq are unreliable. Most people have confused feelings–frustration, patriotism, anger–that simply can’t be quantified. I’d hate to see the results of a poll that asked: “Should we …

There’s been a lot of discussion (here and elsewhere) about how Congress will “handle” Bush’s plan for a surge/escalation in Iraq, especially given the unpopularity of the scheme among the public at large (only 31 percent like it). Pundits like Joe “Cranky” Klein (love you, Joe!), seem to argue that Democrats who are against escalation …